NEW DELHI: Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is likely to meet US President, Joe Biden at least five times this year, four of which will be between May and June.
The meetings that the duo are likely to attend include the sidelines of the G7 Leaders Summit meeting in Hiroshima, a meeting in Papua New Guinea, Quad Leaders Summit, PM Modi is expected to travel to the US in June and President Biden is likely to be in Delhi for the G20 Summit.
Japanese PM Fumio Kishida during his visit to Delhi had extended an invite for PM Modi to attend the G7 Leaders Summit in Hiroshima. The Summit takes place between May 19th and 21st. After the Summit and before the duo head for the Quad Leaders Summit in Sydney on May 24th, they will meet again in Papua New Guinea.
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister, James Marape, had said that his country is ready to meet President Biden and PM Modi in May for the India-Pacific Islands Cooperation meeting that would be attended by 18 Pacific Island leaders.
"Papua New Guinea is ready to receive both President Biden and PM Modi. It will be a historic first and also a forward futuristic meeting of global superpowers in the biggest country in the Pacific,’’ said PM Marape.
The two leaders will meet again on May 24th during the Quad Summit in Sydney.
Prime Minister Modi is expected to visit the US in June for a state visit. Both countries have been involved in diplomatic negotiations and it is learnt that they are expected to meet around the third week of June -around World Yoga Day (June 21st) in New York first and then travel to Washington DC.
President Biden is expected to travel to India in September for the G20 Leaders Summit, as was stated by US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia -Donald Lu.
"2023 is going to be a big year for India-US relationship,’’ Lu had earlier said.
The two nations are cooperating in the Indo-Pacific and have been jointly conducting military exercises in the area too. The in-person meetings will further fortify the equation between the two.